We are interested in receiving new plays for review. Silk Moth is an unusual theater, and not every play is right for our context. But we love reading plays! We also are connected among theaters that produce new work. If your play isn’t right for us…maybe we’ll send it to a friend. You can email your scripts to hello@silkmothstage.com.
We are currently reading plays for our 2024 season, with themes about people’s connection to and conflict with the natural world. We also welcome plays for our 2025 season; theme undetermined.
Silk Moth plays tend to have the following characteristics (but we are open to surprises):
- They are “new classics,” borrowing Shakespeare & Company’s definition of a “classic”: “The highest truths, universally told, with healing powers.” We’ve got some questions about which truths are the highest and whether a universal telling is possible, but we know we need those healing powers.
- They use minimal tech. Our stage is literally a porch on a house. We don’t have stage lights or projection; the sun is our illumination. We time plays to end at sundown (you can take advantage of this!). We prefer live-generated music and Foley sound. Our sets are minimal; there’s no fly system. We love practical magic.
- They have powerful language. We don’t do plays that sound like sitcoms. We love verse drama. We love carefully crafted rhetoric. We love words that feel like someone selected each one of them.
- They have audience connection. We’re big on meta theater. Our audience can see us, and we can see them seeing us. Our plays may or may not include direct address or audience interaction, but they always are aware of the audience’s presence.
- They explore challenging topics in a way that experiments with form. We’re not a didactic theater. We do plays where the “abouts” are core determiners of what unfolds. Bonus points if the “abouts” are represented in surprising and innovative ways. “Tell the truth / but tell it slant,” if you know what we mean.
- They respond to place. This doesn’t mean that they’re set in the Shenandoah Valley. But they are in conversation with the landscape, the elements, and the community where we are situated.
- They contain a core message of hope and renewal. This doesn’t necessarily mean a happy ending. It just means we’re not nihilists.
Silk Moth Stage 